Sabbathought: "You cannot pray cream and live skimmed milk."

We have spoken a lot about revelation lately. Revelation comes as we seek and ask in faith. One of the symbolic meanings of the Star of David is the triangle pointing upward, representing prayer, and the superimposed triangle pointing down, symbolizing revelation.

Most of the revelations the Prophet Joseph Smith received were in answer to questions. The process began with his translation by the power of God of the plates, which resulted in the Book of Mormon. As Joseph translated and saw baptism repeatedly spoken of on the plates, he asked the Lord on 15 May 1829 about baptism. The answer came immediately in the form of John the Baptist restoring the keys of baptism contained in the Aaronic priesthood, John being somewhat of a specialist in baptism and the last legal holder of those keys (see D&C 13: 84:26--28).

Next, the Lord commanded Joseph to translate the Bible. Further questions came, and the revelations now found in the Doctrine and Covenants were the result of Joseph's asking. In this process we see Joseph not just asking for help, but inquisitively asking about the Lord's work. It is a key to our relationship with our God, for what is required of us here below is a searching after God's purposes and plans, not just obedience to His revealed will.

On one occasion, Joseph and his family had only some johnnycake to eat. In blessing the food Joseph said, "O Lord, we thank Thee for this johnnycake and ask Thee to send us something better." That was a telegram prayer. Within an hour or two there was a knock at the door and a friend stood there with a sack of flour and a large ham. "See, Emma," said Joseph, "I knew the Lord would answer our need!"

Another time in a cottage meeting Joseph prayed with the kneeling group in a prayer that was so long and detailed that people stood up to rest and then knelt down again. Joseph knew how to pray, through practice. We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ because of Joseph's prayer in the grove as a young teen.

The mighty Atonement itself was accomplished in a prayer, in a garden. Jesus prayed always.

Distractedly watching an excerpt from the film "Patton" recently, I was struck as the general quoted in his prayer most of Psalm 63 in a small church the night before an important battle. The LDS Bible Dictionary tells us that "David's Psalms, and the Psalms generally, breathe the highest spirit of prayer. The nation that possessed them must have been rich in teachers and examples of prayer."

The entry goes on to say, "As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part. (Matt. 7:7--11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship.

"Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work." This reminds us that Harold B. Lee once taught, "Unless you are in a fit of desperation, your prayers don't have much suction" to draw down a blessing from heaven.

It goes on to speak of praying in Christ's name and how this is done (beyond merely closing the prayer in His name), and then this:

"Many prayers remain unanswered because they are not in Christ's name at all; they in no way represent his mind, but spring out of the selfishness of man's heart" (pages 752--3). This is very instructive and sobering to me.

It was Howard W. Hunter who taught, "You cannot pray cream and live skimmed milk." The measure of our righteous standing before the Lord will largely be the measure of the relationship we have with Him as spoken of above, and will be a key factor in our prayers and their answers.

As the Lord said to the Brother of Jared, "And thus I will do unto thee because this long time ye have cried unto me" (the last sentence of Ether chapter 1).

May this bless our lives, particularly as we go to the "house of prayer" each Sabbath day to offer up our sacraments upon His holy day (see D&C 59:9).

Steve

P.S. An invitation: How would you answer this question in as few words as possible: What is the gospel? Please, either post a comment in response or send me an e-mail by reply, and we'll visit this subject soon. Thanks.